Secret Santa
by ScatteredSapphireRoses
Summary: Following Ib as she tries to find the very best item to help show thanks to someone special during the holiday season. But for such a friend, is anything worthy? One-shot detailing the friendship between Ib and Garry after the Promise of Reunion ending. Christmas/Holiday fic.


**A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! Yes, as I promised, this is a Christmas themed Ib one-shot for the holiday season. **

**This is documenting young Ib as she hunts for the perfect gift for a special friend.**

**I hope you'll enjoy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ib, nor it's characters.**

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It was a frosty December morning, like the clichéd ones from story books and novels. I woke up early that day, excited to proceed with the day's activities. My parents and I spent this day the same way every year, by visiting the many stores downtown and buying our bulk of Christmas gifts. Seeing as how I was still a little girl at the time, I was rather excited.

I got ready for our annual shopping trip at around 8 AM, getting dressed; brushing my hair, and making sure I had the money I had saved up that year for my parents' gifts. I chose my favourite outfit that day, my long -sleeved white blouse and red skirt with the matching bow. Sliding on a pair of shiny red Mary-Janes, I headed downtown with my parents.

Unlike every year before, I had someone new on my shopping list. His name was Garry. I met him at the local art gallery when I was child. He was sixteen whereas I was nine. After an unusual series of events that day, we grew close. Like brother and sister, except without the fighting. My parents found it weird at first and were rather suspicious of my older friend. But after an explanation of how we met and what our relations exactly were, Garry practically became part of the family! He would take me to the café downtown for macaroons and would baby sit if my parents had places to be.

I tried asking him countless times before if there was anything he would have liked for Christmas, but each time he would tell me not to worry and that I would put Santa's elves out of business this way. But I was a big girl and knew that it was mother and father who put those gifts the tree every year, not a big man with a beard. Either way, I agreed with him preferring to keep my plan a secret. It would be better if it was a surprise.

As we pulled into a space on the mall's parking lot, I walked in with my parents. We went through the stores and looked at boring things for a while, like gifts for aunts I didn't even know I was related to. But at times, I would be asked to look around myself; being told that mother and father needed to look around alone. I used that time to look for _my _gifts. I looked around the long aisles, sometimes to step on tip-toes to view all the things on the higher up shelves. After a while, I found presents for my parents. For mother I had a necklace with a small white diamond on the pendant, and for my father, I had a silver ring. Both were silver and seemed to match, just as the two of them did. A worker had gotten them out of them glass viewing case with a plastered smile her face. Even still, I thanked her politely, giving her a half-genuine smile as I paid for the items before going to look around some more.

With the little white boxes in my coat pockets, I went through my mental list. I had gifts for mother and father, leaving only Garry's gift unfound. In my mind, it had to be perfect and nothing but perfect. I scanned every aisle, trying that one item. It had to be somewhere. But no matter where I looked and what I saw, nothing seemed good enough. I had to get him something, it would be rude not to, especially after all he's done for me.

That's when I saw it, the perfect gift. It was in an ivory box inside a glass case, gently resting on a lavender pillow. It was a necklace. It wasn't like the girly one I got for mommy but a unisex style. It was gold with a rose pendant made out of glass. The bright light from the display lamps helped it to shine perfectly. Roses were something special to us and were more than suiting. I asked an employee if they could get it for me, paying them for it when they did and thanking them sweetly. I placed the top on the box and gently laid it in my pocket with the other gifts, being careful not to break it. I met up with my parents soon afterwards and looked around with them for another hour or more. After buying most of the gifts we needed to buy, we headed back to our car and headed home.

On the drive home, I held the small box in my gloved hands, wondering what Garry would think about his gift. I knew he would say he liked it anyway, but would he mean it? He would probably get me a gift too. Would my gift be as good as his? Or would it look unimpressive when compared to his? I thought deeply about it as I looked out the window, not paying mind to the snowflakes, floating gently from the cloudy, grey sky.

I counted everyday from then until Christmas, excitement filling my veins, their addictive nature affecting my parents as well. Every time Garry would come over to baby-sit me or pick me up from school to go to the café, I would keep quiet about the gift. I would still talk about Christmas though, making Garry laugh. He would tell me I breaking the chair I sat in, for I jumped up and down in excitement. Joking around, I would puppy eyes and ask him if 'Santa' would bring me what I wanted. He would laugh, telling me not to worry once more and that he knew exactly what I wanted and had it on hand for the special day. I would smile and go back to eating my usual of macaroons and hot chocolate.

But after a brutal two weeks worth of waiting, the day arrived. The 25th of December. I woke up early, around six o'clock, waking my parents and rushing downstairs to open the presents awaiting me under our tree. I was greeted by several piles, to which my eye twinkled. After thanking my parents and 'Santa', I ran over to the tree and began to unwrap the boxes of shining paper. I got normal gifts for a girl of my age, the newest dolls and toys I would stare intently at in the store windows year round. As well, I got new clothes, including a red dress with a small rose on the left side. It was beautiful. Noticing my love of the garment, my mother said I could wear it for when friends and family arrived. I nodded quickly, thanking her and father with a tight hug before changing.

The day was like most Christmases. Many of relatives visited, bringing gifts they couldn't bring over earlier. They all marvelled at me in my dress. I thanked them but, as rude as it was, really didn't care about their opinion. All throughout the day, I sat in the sitting room like a doll, holding the small ivory box. Garry said he would visit sometime in the early afternoon. Being as meticulous as I was when it came to time, I kept glancing at the grandfather clock at the other end of the room. It was 1:37pm. My mother came into the room and sat down beside me, hugging me. "Don't worry, sweetie. He'll arrive soon." I agreed with her. Maybe he was with family. It made sense that he would want to spend time with them too. I looked down at the small box in my hands. My mother spoke to me again in a soft tone. "And don't worry. No matter what you give him today, I'm sure he'll treasure it. Remember; it's not the gift that matters, it's the thought." I looked up at her and gave her a small smile. She always knew what to say.

At 2:00, I heard a knock at the door. _That must be him! _I thought to myself. Overflowing with hope, I hopped off the couch and ran to the door, making sure not to push my styled out of place. "Coming!" I called to the person on the other side of the door. I pulled open the door, revealing Garry on the other side. He wasn't in his usual attire; instead he wore black dress pants with a matching blazer along with a deep blue shirt underneath. He held a small red bag in his left hand. He smiled at me, "Merry Christmas, Ib." Ecstatic to see him, I hugged him tightly. "Garry!" He chuckled as I heard my mother's high heels click as she entered the entryway. "Welcome; and Merry Christmas Garry. Come on in." I felt him pull away from the hug, instead taking my hand into his. "Come on Garry!" I smiled as I pulled him into the sitting room.

He took a seat on one of the couches across from my parents. Smiling, I sat on the cushion next him. I turned to him and passed him the ivory box "Here Garry! This is for you!" He smiled at me before taking it into his possession. "May I open it, Ib?" I nodded. I watched intently as he lifted up the cover and uncovered the gift from under the tissue paper. He took the necklace out of the box, examining it. I held my breath as he turned to me. His smile widened "Thank you very much Ib." My eyes widened, "You like it?" I asked in surprise. "Of course I do, it's wonderful." His smile was genuine.

He then passed me the crimson bag "Here's your gift Ib." My eyes widened as I took the bag. He motions for me to open it. I open the bag, and retrieve the gift from inside the sea of tissue paper. Getting the gift out of the bag, I find it to be a mahogany box two times the size of my two hands with primary coloured roses painted onto its cover. "Open it Ib." Garry tell me. I look down at it before doing so. Inside the box was a spinning rose in a vase, a soft melody playing as it spun around. The music box was lined with red velvet and a compartment for items was in the base. I looked up at him with wide eyes. "This is for me..?" He nodded with a smile on his face. "Of course it is." I looked down at it with a smile.

"Thank you Garry."

"You're welcome Ib."

"Merry Christmas Garry."

We smiled at each other before he replied "Merry Christmas Ib."

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**A/N: Did you enjoy it? I hope you did. **

**As I said, Happy Holidays! I hope every single one of you will enjoy the holiday season and will do so safely. **

**I wish you all good tidings for the times to come and that you will enjoy all of what the rest of this year and the following year will bring!**

**Until then, goodbye.**


End file.
